Comforting Thoughts
by Sassafrass86
Summary: Chap 6--Susan finds out about Carter and Abby's little rendezvous; Dave's niece shows up at the ER. More Carter and Abby chatter.
1. Abby and Carter

Title: Comforting Thoughts  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Carter or Abby. Oh, and for Carby haters, this isn't a Carby. For Carby lovers, don't worry.  
  
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Abby stood on the roof, smoking a cigarette, with a cup of coffee in her hand. It was freezing, but she didn't care. She was already numb anyway. She sighed, fighting the urge to burst into tears. She couldn't believe that Brian had done this. She knew he was dangerous...why had she unlocked the door the second time? Why couldn't she just have kept the door locked...keep him out...she heard the roof door open. She looked over her shoulder to see Carter walk out to join her.  
  
"Hey," he said, quietly.  
  
"Hey," she whispered.  
  
Carter breathed in the fresh air. He glanced at Abby. The bruise on her face was pretty big. He looked away, but Abby had already caught him. She smiled slightly.  
  
"If you want to say something about it, say it," she said.  
  
Carter gave her a surprised look. "Abby, I..."  
  
She held up a hand to stop him. She smiled again. "It's OK, Carter."  
  
Carter returned her smile and chuckled. He looked out at Chicago's night sky, slightly blinded by all the lights. He sighed and looked at Abby again.  
  
"You know, everyone's downstairs worrying about you," he said.  
  
"Yeah, well, they'll find something else to do," Abby said with a smirk.  
  
Carter nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure."  
  
"You know, I just want everyone to stop asking..." Abby started.  
"If you're OK," Carter finished.  
  
Abby glanced at him, a little surprised. "Yeah, exactly," she said.  
  
He nodded again. "So, I'm going to put my neck on the line and piss you off...are you OK?"  
  
Abby laughed for the first time in the night. She looked at her tall friend.  
  
"You know, if you were someone else, I'd say I was fine. But, I'm going to tell you the truth."  
"Oh, well, I'm honored," Carter joked. Abby punched his arm and he laughed.  
"Anyway, I'm not doing too hot, you know? I mean, I shouldn't have let him in. Not again."  
  
"Abby, you can't blame yourself for this."  
  
"Yeah, so says everyone else downstairs."  
  
Carter looked down. "It's just going to take time."  
  
Abby looked at him, annoyed. "Time? `It's going to take time'? Well, you know what? I don't want it to `take time', I want it to go away," she vented.  
  
Carter understood. "I understand how you feel, Abby," he said, cautiously.  
  
"How the hell would you understand? You don't know how it feels to be attacked..." she trailed off, realizing who she was talking to. She covered her mouth.  
  
Carter continued to stare at the ground. He knew Abby's feelings were all over the place, but what she said still stung.  
  
"Carter," he heard her whisper.  
  
He looked at her, praying that the tears wouldn't come. He couldn't cry...Abby had been hurt now, not him. If anyone was going to cry, it was going to be her.  
  
"Carter," she said again, "I'm so sorry. I...I zoned out and forgot who I was talking to...I..."  
  
Carter shook his head. "Abby, it's OK...like I said, I understand. You just needed to vent."  
  
Abby gave him a worried glance, but he didn't notice it. She looked away.  
  
"I don't even know why I'm complaining...you had it way worse than I did."  
  
Carter's head shot up and he looked at her. "Abby, don't you ever say that again."  
  
She looked at him, shocked. "Wha...?"  
  
"You listen to me, Abby Lockhart, you were hurt. You were attacked by a man who abused his wife...who hurt women for no good reason. I was attacked by a man who didn't know what he was doing. He didn't know he had stabbed two people and killed one until he was told later on. You were attacked and I was attacked. It doesn't matter how we were hurt...we were still both attacked. So don't you dare say you had it better than me. Because you didn't. You didn't deserve this. No woman does." Carter said, his voice full of compassion.  
  
Abby stared at him. "You didn't deserve to be stabbed either, Carter. Lucy didn't deserve to die. I know you blame yourself for it. But you can't. Just like I can't blame myself for my attack. I guess we both needed to figure that out."  
  
Carter and Abby looked each other in the eye. Before she knew it, Abby had walked over to Carter and pulled him into a huge hug.  
  
Abby began to cry and Carter stroked her hair, comforting her. "You are an amazing person, Abby. You're my best friend. And I wouldn't have it any other way," he whispered into her ear. He felt hot tears begin to run down his cheek as well and he closed his eyes, hugging Abby closer to him.  
  
Abby sniffled as her friend held her. "I wouldn't have it any other way either, John. Never," she cried as he continued to stroke her hair. They pulled apart and sighed. They both gave a small laugh.  
  
"So, they probably miss us downstairs," Abby said, breaking the silence.  
  
"Huh, I'm feeling a little déjà vu," Carter said.  
  
Abby smiled. "Hey, this time, I won't let you wander off on your own," she teased.  
"Yeah, at least they're not having a part tonight," Carter laughed, feeling a little weird joking about the worst moment of his entire life.  
  
"Carter?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"For what, Abby?"  
  
"For being my friend...for coming up here, for opening my eyes, for...everything," she said.  
  
Carter gave her one of his stunning smiles.  
  
"That's what friends are for," he replied, as he took her by the hand and led her to the door. From there, they walked, hand-in-hand, back to the ER. 


	2. Abby, Carter, and Dave

Title: Comforting Thoughts  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the ER staff, I'm just writing about them. Oh, and if you want this to be a Carby, tell me when you review! Maybe I can pull a little strings, lol. But, I love the Carter/Abby friendship more than anything, but being more can't hurt, right? And sorry to disappoint you, but if I do decide to make it a Carby, it ain't starting in this chapter!  
  
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As Carter and Abby walked back into the ER, they were greeted by Dr. Weaver, though not in a good way.  
  
"Hurry up, you two, there's an MVA coming in," she said, rushing to the ambulance bay.  
  
Carter and Abby looked at each other for a moment, let go of each other's hands and followed Dr. Weaver, with Dave close behind.  
  
"Dave, you're with Carter, Abby, you're with me," Kerry ordered. Both teams took a patient and rushed into Trauma 1 and 2.  
  
"Give me the bullet," Carter told a paramedic as they made their way to the Trauma room.  
  
"Thirty-six year old white male, victim of a hit-and-run, except the driver didn't get to run," the paramedic replied.  
  
Carter nodded.  
  
"Sir, can you hear me?" Carter asked the man lying on the gurney.  
  
The man mumbled something inaudible to him and Carter looked up at Dave. Dave shrugged to say he didn't understand.  
  
"Sir, what's your name?" Dave asked.  
  
"D-Dave, is that you," the man mumbled.  
  
Carter furrowed his brow.  
  
"Oh, God, Mike?" Malucci said, with a panicked voice.  
  
"Dave, let's concentrate all right?" Carter urged.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, sure thing, man," Dave replied, worriedly.  
  
"OK, we need to get an ultrasound in here to check for intraabdominal bleeding and a head CT, Dave, check the airway," Carter ordered.  
  
The heart monitor picked up its beeping and Carter and Dave's heads immediately shot up.  
  
"He's seizing," Dave said.  
  
"Should we intubate?" Haleh asked.  
  
"No, get him an oxygen mask," Carter replied, as the man's heart monitor continued to get faster.  
  
"He's in V-Fib," Lily called out.  
  
"We need the paddles over here," Dave yelled.  
  
Haleh grabbed the paddles and handed them to Dave.  
  
"Charge to 100," he said, "OK, clear!"  
  
Everybody jumped back as Dave shocked him. He shook his head.  
  
"Still in V-fib," he said, "charge to 150. Clear!"  
  
Again, everybody jumped back.  
  
"Still in V-fib," Haleh called.  
  
"Charge to 200…clear! No, ok, charge to 250…clear!" Dave yelled, aggressively.  
  
"He's still in V-fib," Carter said.  
  
"Damn it," Dave huffed, "charge to 300…clear!"  
  
"Still nothing," Lily said.  
  
"Dave, there's nothing else we can do," Carter said, touching the young doctor's arm. The heart monitor flat-lined.  
  
"Asystole," Yosh said.  
  
Dave dropped his eyes and shook his head, biting his lip.  
  
"We should have been able to save him. We should have been able to save him!" Dave said, bitterly, pulling off his gloves and throwing them down. He barged out of the Trauma room.  
  
Carter was concerned about his co-worker. Dave had obviously known the patient and his death had obviously hit him hard. He made a mental note to talk to him about it later. He left the Trauma room and saw Abby hanging around the front desk.  
  
"Hey, how's your patient?" he asked.  
  
"Eh, he's up in the OR," she replied, "how about yours?"  
  
"He flat-lined in the Trauma room," he told her.  
  
She winced and nodded.  
  
"Yeah, apparently Dave knew the guy and he's seemed pretty broken up about it. I think I'm going to go talk to him later."  
  
"That's probably a good idea," Abby agreed, "but on the other hand, you know Dave. He probably doesn't want to be babied."  
  
"Abby, I don't think anybody wants to be babied," Carter laughed.  
  
Abby laughed as well. "I guess you're right. I'll go with you to talk to Malucci, if you want."  
  
"Sure, I guess I could use the company," Carter teased.  
  
Abby punched his arm as they walked toward the Lounge.  
  
  
  
They swung open the doors and walked in laughing, but paused after seeing Dave sitting on the couch with his head in his hands, his sobs being heard faintly.  
  
"Dave?" Abby asked, shocked that that man she perceived to be a jackass was crying.  
  
He looked up in surprise and stood up, trying to wipe away the tears.  
  
"Uh, hey, guys," he said, trying to smile, but was unsuccessful.  
  
"Dave, what's wrong?" Abby questioned as Carter looked on.  
  
"N-nothing, I'll…I'll be fine," he replied.  
  
Abby shook her head. "No, Dave, I'm serious, tell us what's wrong," she insisted.  
  
"Does this have something to do with that patient?" Carter asked.  
  
Dave looked from Abby to Carter and back again. He slowly nodded.  
  
"That…that guy…he's…I mean, you know, he was…he was my brother," Dave whispered.  
  
Carter was shocked. He looked at Abby who looked back at him with an expression that showed she was just as surprised as he was.  
  
"Dave, I…I'm so sorry," Carter began.  
  
Dave held up his hand a shook his head. "No, this is my fault."  
  
Carter was taken aback. This was getting more confusing my the minute.  
  
"What?" he asked.  
  
"When I was a kid…I…I ran away from home," Dave began.  
  
"Why?" Abby asked.  
  
Dave averted his eyes from hers. "Uh, well, see, my dad wasn't the nicest guy…or the most sober."  
  
Abby winced and gave a small nod of understanding.  
  
"Yeah…anyway, I ran away from home when I was 15…he…he'd been uh, hitting me for about 8 years before that, when my mom died, and these people found me sitting on the sidewalk in the winter and they took me in. They adopted me and…well, I never saw my brother or father again."  
  
Carter was beginning to feel very guilty. He had had absolutely no idea about Dave's childhood…but then again, he never did ask. Dave started to speak again.  
  
"My brother called a couple of days ago," he explained, "he said he'd been looking for me, but he hadn't been able to find me until now. He wanted to meet me for lunch or something, but I said no…I don't know why. I think it's…it's probably because I was still mad at him for not protecting me from getting abused…I know that's selfish…"  
  
"Dave, that's not selfish, it's perfectly understandable," Abby consoled, "he was your older brother and you thought he should be the one to protect you."  
  
Dave closed his eyes and tried to prevent the tears he knew were forming from dropping.  
  
"Look, I don't know why I told you this," Dave said, quietly," but I beg you not to tell anyone what I said."  
  
"Don't worry, we won't," Carter assured.  
  
Dave nodded, took a deep breath, and stood up. He put on a smile.  
  
"Well, time to get back to work, there's patients to see," he said cheerfully and walked out of the lounge.  
  
Carter and Abby stood rooted to their spots, amazed how Dave could just get up and leave after his brother had just been killed.  
  
  
  
"Abby, he needs help," Carter said.  
  
She turned to him. "I know," she replied, "I think we need to tell Weaver."  
  
Carter nodded in agreement. "He needs to get some time off," he added.  
  
Abby and Carter both felt guilty about betraying Dave and telling his deepest and darkest secret, but they knew it was for the best.  
  
"So, wanna get a bite to eat later?" Carter asked as they walked out of the lounge to see their patients.  
  
Abby snorted and gave him a small push. They walked toward the board and fished around the charts to find some patients.  
  
"Oh, Abby, here you go, this one's perfect for you," Carter joked, handing her a chart for a patient with diarrhea. She rolled her eyes and shoved it back into his arms.  
  
"Shut up, Carter," she said, with fake annoyance.  
  
"Hey, guys, can you tell Weaver I'm going home, I don't feel too good," Dave said, coming up behind them.  
  
"Oh, sure Dave, no problem," Carter told him.  
  
"OK, thanks, see ya later," Dave replied and walked off.  
  
"Well, at least he realized he needs to get some rest," Abby said.  
  
But as they watched Dave just walk out of the ER into the cold, they tensed.  
  
"Dave, your coat!" Abby tried to call to Dave, but he was oblivious to her yells.  
  
"Huh," Carter grunted, "maybe not."  
  
They gave a worried glanced at each other, considering whether or not to go after him, but their thoughts were destroyed after they were called to another trauma. 


	3. I Don't Remember

Title: Comforting Thoughts  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Spoilers: No  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own nothing.  
  
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Carter walked out of the Lounge, yawning. Abby turned to see him and smiled. She walked up behind him.  
  
"You off soon?" she asked, laughing when he jumped.  
  
He turned and chuckled. "Yeah, I'm off in a couple of hours. Are you?"  
  
"I'm not as lucky. I've got five freakin' hours left, the ER's dead, and I don't know what the hell to do."  
  
Carter laughed at Abby's mini rant. "Yeah, well, I'm sure we'll get some traumas soon."  
  
"I'm still worried about Dave," Abby said, suddenly.  
  
Carter paused. "Yeah, me too," he replied.  
  
"I mean, he just left…and without a coat, too, I mean, he could freeze to death," Abby babbled.  
  
"Abby, I'm sure he'll be fine," Carter said, trying to calm her down.  
  
She took a deep breath. "Yeah, I'm sure he will. Sorry about that."  
  
"We all have to let it out sometime," Carter said.  
  
  
  
They reached the admit desk and leaned against the counter-top.  
  
"You know, I can come back when your shift's over and we can grab that coffee and pie," Carter offered.  
  
Abby looked at him, a smile creeping across her face. "You'd do that?"  
  
"Yeah, sure I would. I have to make it up to you for blowing you off last time anyway."  
  
She now smiled broadly. "Thanks, I'd like that."  
  
Carter gave her a small nod and a smile. There was a moment of silence between them. Suddenly, the doors to the ER opened and a very messy Dave came stumbling in. Abby and Carter's eyes widened at the sight of their friend and co-worker, who, as he came closer, appeared to have a bluish and pale tint to his normally tanned skin. He also sported a new black eye.  
  
"Oh, no, Dave, what the hell happened to you?" Abby exclaimed, rushing to him. Carter followed suit. Dave looked from Abby to Carter. He shivered.  
  
"I…I for…forgot m-my ja…jacket," he stuttered, barely being able to get the words out of his frozen lips.  
  
"Yeah, no kidding," Carter said. He rushed back over to the admit desk. "Randi, what's open?"  
  
She looked up at him from her magazine and turned her head to look at the board. "Ummm…Curtain three and Exam four," she replied.  
  
"Okay, thanks," he said, already rushing back to Dave and Abby. "Let's get him to Exam four, shall we," he told her, as he helped her walk Dave to the room.  
  
"Haleh," Abby called to the nearest person, "can we can some blankets in Exam four, please?"  
  
Haleh nodded and walked away to find some. Carter and Abby reached the room and lay Dave down on one of the beds. Haleh walked into the room, blankets in hand, along with a new chart.  
  
"Dave?" she asked, confused.  
  
"Hey, Haleh," Dave called to her, "any pretty girls outside?"  
  
Abby rolled her eyes. He may have been disoriented, but his mind certainly hadn't traveled that far. She took the blankets from Haleh and put them on Dave. Haleh shook her head and walked out of the room.  
  
"So, Dave, how far did you get before realizing you left without your coat?" Carter asked.  
  
"I…I don't remember," Dave replied, as he felt his body warming up a little.  
  
Carter and Abby exchanged a quick glance. "And what happened to your eye?"  
  
"Uh…these…these guys…" Dave started.  
  
"Are they the ones that hurt you?" Abby asked.  
  
Dave slowly nodded. "I…I was walking…empty street…buh…baseball bat…took my wallet…"  
  
Carter's mouth fell slightly agape. "Baseball bat?" he asked, looking back at Abby, who shrugged.  
  
"Yeah…yeah, they…they were hitting me…I don't really remember…" Dave replied.  
  
"Dave, Dave, don't worry, it's okay," Abby comforted.  
  
Dave tried to sit up, but winced. He fell back onto the bed. Carter noticed this and furrowed his brow.  
  
"Dave, can you lift your shirt up, please?" he asked.  
  
He nodded, moved the blankets, and lifted his shirt. Carter lifted his eyebrows in surprise at the number of fresh bruises.  
  
"You don't remember any of this?" Abby asked, as Carter quickly got up to check for broken ribs.  
  
Dave shook his head. "Not really…I…I don't know why…I should…I remember the bat and the guys…I don't know…I guess I blacked out…OW! I know I woke up in…in an alley…OW!" he said, yelping in pain when Carter reached the tender areas of his stomach.  
  
"Sorry," Carter said.  
  
"Nobody saw you?" Abby asked.  
  
"I guess not…either…either that or…OW! Or they juh…just chose not to ack…acknowledge me…"  
  
Abby looked up at Carter. "Are there any broken ribs?"  
  
Carter sighed and nodded. "There are three."  
  
Abby shook her head. "Damn," she said under her breath.  
  
"Dr. Carter, they need you for an MVA out here," Chuny said, running in. "Dave?"  
  
Dave waved. Carter ignored their little exchange. "What is it?" he asked, walking out.  
  
"Two white men in their early thirties, hit by a car when they ran out into the street," a paramedic informed him before Chuny could speak.  
  
"Can I help, Dr. Carter?" Michael Gallant asked, running with the gurney toward Trauma 1.  
  
"Uh, sure, Gallant," Carter said to the young hopeful.  
  
  
  
"Are you in a lot of pain, Dave?" Abby asked.  
  
"I can take it," Dave assured.  
  
Abby narrowed her eyes. "Are you still cold?"  
  
"I'm warmer. Don't worry about me, Abby," Dave told her.  
  
"Come on, Dave, tell the truth," Abby snapped.  
  
He looked at her in surprise and she closed her eyes for a moment.  
  
"Dave, I'm sorry. It's just…I'm worried about you. I mean, you just lost your brother…"  
  
He winced when she said that. "Abby, look, I'll be fine. It's just a few broken ribs."  
  
Abby smiled inwardly at the strong will and stubbornness of her friend.  
  
"Well, Malucci, if you change your mind and the pain gets worse, don't hesitate to ask for any pain medication, okay?"  
  
Dave nodded, smiling. "Yes, nurse," he replied.  
  
Abby shot him a threatening glare before laughing. "I'll be back to check on you later."  
  
"Be sure to bring me back some pizza," Dave called before she walked out of the room. She turned and rolled her eyes at him. She walked out of the room and looked around the ER. She sighed and walked into the Lounge for some coffee.  
  
  
  
"Dr. Carter, he's in V-Fib," Gallant called out.  
  
"Okay, let's get the paddles. Gallant, have you ever shocked a patient before?"  
  
Gallant gave a quick nod. "Once or twice."  
  
"Good, I'll let you take this then. Charge to 100," he ordered, handing the paddles to the young med student. He took them and positioned them over the man's chest.  
  
"Okay, one, two, three…clear!" he called, shocking the man.  
  
"No change," Chuny called.  
  
"Again, charge to 150," Carter said.  
  
"One, two, three…clear!" Gallant called.  
  
"Still no change," Chuny said again.  
  
"Charge to 200," Carter said, starting to become jumpy.  
  
"One, two, three…clear!" Gallant yelled.  
  
"No change…he's in asystole, doctors," Chuny informed them.  
  
Carter sighed. He looked at the clock. "Time of death, 1:23."  
  
He looked at Gallant, who stood rooted to the spot, paddles still in hand. Carter took of his gloves and walked over to him. He touched Gallant's shoulder.  
  
"Gallant?" he said, softly.  
  
Michael jumped and looked at him. He dropped the paddles. "I'm sorry, Dr. Carter, I didn't mean to freeze like that." he tried to explain.  
  
"Hey, it's okay. Was this the first person you've seen die?"  
  
Michael nodded. Carter nodded in understanding. "I had the same reaction."  
  
"You did?"  
  
Carter nodded again. "It's always hard, man, and it'll never get easy."  
  
Gallant nodded slowly. He looked at the floor. "Hey, the guy dropped his wallet." He bent down and picked up the wallet, opening it to look for ID. His eyes widened.  
  
Carter looked at him oddly. "What is it?"  
  
Gallant looked up at Carter and turned the wallet, showing the driver's license. It was Dave's.  
  
"Oh, crap." 


	4. Wait For Me

Title: Comforting Thoughts  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Spoilers: No  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own nothing.  
  
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"Dude, dude, don't worry about it, I'm cool, alright?" Dave exclaimed, exasperated.  
  
"Are you sure you don't want to be admitted, Dave? I mean…"  
  
"No, I do not want to be admitted, I still have shift to finish, so just disregard how I walked out earlier because I am fine and I want to work," Dave said, cutting Carter off.  
  
Abby and Carter looked at each other. "Well, that sure seems to be a first," Abby joked.  
  
Dave glared at her. "Yeah, that's funny, that's really funny. Next time you need somebody to cover your shift, don't come to me."  
  
"Hey, you don't need to worry about that." Abby replied, sarcastically.  
  
  
  
"Randi, do you know where Carter is?" Jing-Mei Chen asked the desk girl.  
  
Randi rolled her eyes and pointed to Exam four, without lifting her eyes from her magazine.  
  
Jing-Mei gave her an odd look and gave her a word of thanks before making her way to the room.  
  
"Hey, John, I wanted to ask you something about…" she started, but stopped after seeing Dave on one of the beds. "Dave? What's going on here?"  
  
"Hello, Jing-Mei, you're looking beautiful as usual," Dave flirted, shooting her a winning smile.  
  
Jing-Mei raised her eyebrows and looked at Carter for an answer.  
  
"He left the ER without his coat and came back freezing and with a black eye. He was mugged. The guys who did it were brought in and one of them had Dave's wallet. Oh, and not to mention, they beat him with a baseball bat," Carter explained, disgusted at the last sentence.  
  
"Then why does he seem so…perky?" Jing-Mei questioned.  
  
"He says he doesn't remember what happened. Only the before and after, but not the in between."  
  
Jing-Mei nodded and looked at Dave. "How're you doing?"  
  
"Hey, it's me. I'm tough, I can handle a few broken ribs."  
  
Jing-Mei laughed. "Yeah, well, don't do too much at once or you're going to have more than a few broken ribs."  
  
"Well, I'm going to go find more scrubs and get a'workin'," Dave said, getting up.  
  
"What? Why? I mean…" Jing-Mei started.  
  
"Hey, Jing-Mei, if you want to use the 5 Ws on me, they're what, when, why, where, and who. Now, I can answer two of those questions. Would you like me to?"  
  
She shook her head.  
  
"Okay, then. Now, I'm fine. There's no need to worry, it's not like I was hit by a car or anything." Dave got up to go find a scrub top, leaving John, Abby, and Jing-Mei to stare at him as he left.  
  
"He is so stubborn," Jing-Mei stated.  
  
"Deb, that's the least of what he is," Carter said. He looked at his watch and smiled. "Hey, Abby, look at that. I'm off and, oh, wait…you're not!"  
  
"Bastard," Abby muttered, smiling when she looked at him. "You'll wait for me?"  
  
"Of course, m'lady," Carter joked. "I'm going home to do…something, I don't know what yet, but I know I'm going to do it. Then I'll come back for you and we can go and have our pieces of pie."  
  
Jing-Mei rolled her eyes at Carter and Abby's obvious displays of affection for each other.  
  
"Get a room, you two," she said, before walking out of the room.  
  
Carter and Abby looked at each other in surprise.  
  
"What was that about?" Abby asked.  
  
Carter shrugged. "I'll let you know if I find out. Well, I am going to leave now…I'll see you soon."  
  
He left the room and walked to the Lounge, while Abby waited a few minutes before leaving the room to find some more patients. She spotted Dave at the admit desk, looking for an interesting patient.  
  
"So, looks like you found a scrub top," she said, walking up to him.  
  
"Yeah, I sure did," he replied, not looking up.  
  
"You know, if Weaver saw you doing that, she'd probably be really pissed."  
  
"Yeah, well the Chief isn't here, so I'm safe," he said, finally looking up at her.  
  
"That is one hell of a black eye you've got, Dave," Abby told him.  
  
"Thank you, Abby," Dave snapped before turning back to look at the charts again. He pulled one out and smiled. "Hey, here's a good one. See you later, Abby."  
  
Before she could reply, he walked off, whistling. She shook her head and looked around the ER. She couldn't wait for that piece of pie. 


	5. The Sweetest Thing

Title: Comforting Thoughts  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Spoilers: No  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own nothing.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
  
  
Carter strolled into the ER for the second time that day. He was wearing new clothes and was feeling very fresh after taking a nice, warm shower and putting on some clean clothes. He walked up to Randi.  
  
"Hello, Randi, do you know where Abby is?" he asked.  
  
"How would I know? God, why do people keep asking me where everyone and everything is? What am I, the information desk?" she ranted.  
  
"Uh, actually, Randi, you…kind of are," Carter replied, cautiously.  
  
She pouted as she realized this and pointed to the Lounge. "She's in there."  
  
Carter smiled. "Thanks." He walked over to the Lounge and pushed open the doors to find Abby putting on her coat.  
  
She turned and smiled. "Hey, just in time. I was about to go outside and wait for you."  
  
"Well, no need for that now. You ready?"  
  
She nodded and walked toward him and they left the Lounge, yelling a quick good-bye to Randi who didn't reply. They walked out of the ER and Abby shivered. Carter looked at her.  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah, just a little chilly out here, that's all," she replied.  
  
He thought for a moment. He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. She looked up at him and put on a small smile as they walked over to Doc Magoo's. They went inside and sat at a booth. It was slow that night and a waitress came hopping up to their table.  
  
"What can I get you?" she asked, pen in hand.  
  
"Uh, I'll have a slice of apple pie and a cup of coffee," Carter told her. He looked at Abby.  
  
"I'll have the same. Oh, but make my coffee black," she said.  
  
The waitress nodded and walked away.  
  
"So, how were things after I left?" Carter asked.  
  
"We had a couple of traumas, but other than that, nothing much."  
  
"What about Dave? Does he look like he's doing okay?"  
  
"I don't know…I mean, he acts like it, but who knows what's going on his mind."  
  
"Yeah, well…"  
  
"Here are your orders!" the waitress exclaimed, walking back up to their table. "Two slices of apple pie, and two coffees, one black, one regular."  
  
"Thanks," Carter and Abby said in unison. The waitress walked away once again to go chat with the cashier.  
  
"How's your pie?" Carter asked, digging into his slice.  
  
Abby nodded. "It's good."  
  
"Yeah, mine too…and your coffee?"  
  
Abby gave him a look. "This small talk is getting us nowhere."  
  
"Well, what do you suggest?"  
  
"I don't know…Survivor?"  
  
"Oh, no, not that again," he groaned.  
  
"Well, why not? I like that show!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah, whatever you say," he replied as she laughed.  
  
"Why, what do you watch?"  
  
"I don't know…I don't watch a lot of TV."  
  
"See? If you watched it, you'd probably like it!"  
  
"I watch Friends sometimes."  
  
"Well, at least you have some taste," she teased.  
  
He rolled his eyes and realized that in the small amount of time, they had both finished their coffee and pie. Abby, too, had realized this and she stood up and stretched. Carter stood up as well.  
  
"Uh, I'll pick up the check," he offered.  
  
"No, you don't have to do that…"  
  
"Hey, it's on me," he said, firmly.  
  
Abby smiled, giving up. "Okay, then, get over there and pay the check."  
  
Carter laughed and did as he was told. Abby waited until he was finished and they walked out of Doc's together.  
  
"So…can I give you a ride home or something?" he asked.  
  
"Uh, well, actually…" Abby started.  
  
"Abby!" a voice called out, cutting her off.  
  
Both she and Carter turned their heads to see who it was.  
  
"Luka," Abby said, unenthusiastically.  
  
"Do you need a ride?" Luka asked, running up to the two. He gave a curt nod to Carter, to acknowledge his presence. Carter nodded back.  
  
"Um, no thanks, I'm okay," Abby said to Luka.  
  
"Are you sure? I heard about what happened to Dave, I don't think it's safe for you to be walking home by yourself."  
  
"Luka, really, I'm okay. I've got a ride," she said, motioning to Carter, whose face lit up.  
  
"Oh…alright then…well, I'll see you tomorrow. Have a good night, Abby, Carter," he said, seemingly dejected. He walked away toward his car, leaving Abby and Carter in front of the restaurant.  
  
"Sorry," Abby said, embarrassed.  
  
"What are you sorry for? Luka was just being polite," Carter replied.  
  
Abby smiled to herself. "Uh, so where's my ride?"  
  
Carter cocked his head at her. "Your chariot awaits, princess."  
  
  
  
"Can you turn that off?" Carter yelled, over the radio. He looked over at Abby who was raving in her seat. She stopped and looked at him as if he was insane.  
  
"Are you kidding? Pearl Jam is the best!" she yelled back, resuming her raving.  
  
"Uh…isn't it a little loud? And it's not exactly what I had in mind!"  
  
"What? How can you not like listening to Pearl Jam? They rock!"  
  
"Uh, well, I…" Carter started to yell back, but the song ended and Abby turned off the radio.  
  
He breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
"There you go, Mr. Boring," Abby joked.  
  
"Hey, so I don't like Pearl Jam," he replied.  
  
"Do you like anything that I like?"  
  
"I doubt it," Carter teased.  
  
Abby snorted. "Yeah, you're probably right."  
  
They pulled up to Abby's apartment building. They sat in the car in silence for a moment.  
  
"Uh, do you…want me to walk you to your apartment?"  
  
"Sure, that'd be nice," Abby replied.  
  
They got out of the car, entered the apartment complex and walked up the stairs to her floor.  
  
"You must be glad you could get your old apartment back, huh?"  
  
"Yeah, it's great. I'm glad that freak Brian decided to move out. I was getting nervous."  
  
"It doesn't bother you to be in the same place, then, right?"  
  
"You know, for some reason, I actually find it comforting."  
  
"Huh," Carter grunted.  
  
"I know it sounds crazy…"  
  
"No, no, that's not it, I'm just thinking."  
  
"Really…what are you thinking about?"  
  
"Curtain three," he said, matter-of-factly.  
  
Abby pursed her lips and nodded as they continued up the stairs.  
  
"Oh, look, we're here," Abby said, changing the subject.  
  
"I had a nice time with you tonight," Carter said.  
  
"Hey, it wasn't fancy or anything, just some pie at the dump across the street from the place we work," Abby replied, unlocking her door and opening it.  
  
"It was still nice, though," Carter said, sweetly.  
  
She looked into his deep brown eyes and smiled. "Yeah, it was."  
  
They shifted uncomfortably and looked around. Their eyes connected again. Carter bent down and his lips softly brushed Abby's. He started to pull back, but Abby put her arm around his shoulder and pulled his lips back toward hers and passionately kissed him. He deepened it and she started to pull him into her apartment until a loud noise interrupted. They pulled apart and looked around. It was Abby's new neighbor. She had come out to take her and her husband's dirty clothes to the laundry room.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry, dears, I didn't mean to interrupt you," she said.  
  
"Don't worry about it, Mrs. Hamilton," Abby told her, blushing.  
  
"Well, Abby, I will see you later," Mrs. Hamilton said, walking away.  
  
Carter and Abby looked back at each other and smiled.  
  
"Uh, well, I guess I should be going…" Carter started. "I'll see you tomorrow, though."  
  
Abby nodded, wishing that he would stay. He looked as though he was going to walk away, but he leaned down and kissed Abby on the cheek. She blushed some more.  
  
"Good night, Abby," he whispered in her ear. He then walked back down the stairs, leaving Abby in front of her door, touching her lips with one hand and her cheek with the other, beaming broadly. She shook out of her trance and walked over to the window at the end of the hall, just in time to see Carter climb into his car and peel away. She walked back to her apartment, this time entering it, and ran to her room and jumped onto her bed. She breathed in deeply and exhaled happily. To Abby, John Carter's kisses were the sweetest thing. 


	6. Maybe It's Because I Love You

Title: Comforting Thoughts  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Spoilers: No  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own nothing. Oh, and for those of you who think that the story has some missing links and screwed up sentences and what not…I'm 14 years old. Get over it.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
  
  
  
  
John walked into the ER the next day and sighed blissfully. He felt like he was floating. He "floated" into the Lounge and barely noticed when somebody came up next to him.  
  
"Hey, Carter, you look like you're in a good mood today," Susan Lewis said to him.  
  
Carter turned to her and grinned broadly. "The best mood, Susan," he said. He turned back to his locker and opened it, pulling out his lab coat and switching it with his winter coat.  
  
"Uh-oh, don't tell me…you had sex, right?" Susan teased.  
  
Carter laughed. "No, not exactly."  
  
"Well, I know it has something to do with Abby."  
  
He turned back to her with a look of surprise. "How do you know that?"  
  
She gave him a knowing look. "It was a lucky guess. So, what did you two do last night?"  
  
"We went to Doc Magoo's, had a piece of pie and some coffee…" he started.  
  
"Wait, you're all giddy because you went to the hole across the street and ate pie?" Susan asked, confused.  
  
He laughed again. Susan began to feel nervous. She'd never seen Carter so peppy in her entire time of knowing him.  
  
~All this because of pie~ she asked herself.  
  
"I took her home and we shared a nice kiss," he finished.  
  
"Oh, that's why you're so happy," Susan realized, her nervousness quickly going down the drain.  
  
"Yup, that's it," he confirmed.  
  
"Well, I'm happy for you, Carter. You finally got your dream girl," she said. She had already put on her lab coat, so she and Carter wandered out of the Lounge together, heading toward the admit desk.  
  
  
  
"Hey, Carter, I heard you had sex with Abby, is that true?" Randi asked, with an excited look on her face.  
  
"What? Who told you that?" John asked.  
  
"Hey, my sources are secret," Randi replied.  
  
"Okay, sure…but no, it's not true, and even if it was, I doubt that I would tell you," Carter told her, reaching for a random chart and walking away.  
  
"Is he lying, Dr. Lewis?" Randi asked Susan.  
  
Susan shrugged. "If he says he wasn't, then he wasn't, Randi. It's not the end of the world if you got a wrong piece of information…I think that's why they call it 'gossip'," she said, shooting a glance at the desk clerk.  
  
Randi put on an innocent look. "It's not gossiping! Most of the info I get is rock solid."  
  
"Yeah, most," Susan teased. "Well, I'm off to find a patient. Yell if you need me."  
  
She turned and bumped into Dave.  
  
"Whoa, sorry, Dr. Lewis, I didn't see you there," Dave said.  
  
"Hey, it's okay, Dave, Mr. Most-Talked-About-Man-In-the-ER-Today," Susan joked.  
  
"Huh? What are you talking about?"  
  
"Uh, never mind, Dave," Susan replied, realizing Dave actually had no idea what she was talking about. The truth was, she had been hearing different stories about Dave's situation, and Dave obviously wasn't being let in on the talking. This made sense, because it was, after all, about him.  
  
Dave shook his head in confusion and grabbed another chart.  
  
"You're going a little crazy with the patients, huh Dave?" Susan asked.  
  
"Just trying to get to keep busy and get to everyone," Dave replied, rushing off with the chart.  
  
Susan looked after him, slightly worried. She shrugged it off and began to walk over to her own patient when somebody called her name.  
  
"Susan! Hey, Susan, have you seen Carter?" Abby asked, running up to her, out of breath.  
  
"Uh, I think he went that way," she replied, pointing down the hall.  
  
"Okay, well, if you see him, tell him that I'm looking for him, will you?" she asked, a small smile treading across her face.  
  
"Yeah, I sure will," Susan replied, noticing the look on her face, which basically matched Carter's.  
  
"Thanks," she replied, rushing toward the Lounge to change.  
  
  
  
"Excuse me?" asked a person behind her.  
  
Susan sighed, becoming overwhelmed. She turned. "Yes?"  
  
The person she turned to was a teenage girl with dyed reddish/auburn hair, brown eyes, with tanned skin. She was about 5'5 and she was carrying a black backpack and she was wearing denim jeans with a black tank top (a cotton jacket with the word 'rebel' written across it covering her top), and black platform boots.  
  
"Hi, uh, I was wondering if you knew where Dave Malucci is?" she asked.  
  
"May I ask who you are?"  
  
"I'm his niece," the teen replied.  
  
"Oh…uh, well, he went to…" Susan said, racking her brain, "oh, yes, he went to Exam room one. It's in that direction."  
  
"Thank you, uh…"  
  
"Lewis. Dr. Susan Lewis," Susan replied, with a smile.  
  
The girl flashed a smile back and made her way to the direction Susan had pointed to. Susan shook her head.  
  
~The things kids wear these days~ she thought.  
  
She looked around to make sure nobody else wanted to talk to her and when she saw that the coast was clear, she walked off to find the patient she had planned on seeing before.  
  
  
  
"Hey, Carter," Abby called.  
  
He turned and smiled when he saw her. "Abby, hey, when'd you get here?"  
  
"Just now…I took the El," she answered.  
  
"Oh, that's cool," he replied.  
  
"So, what are you doing?"  
  
"Oh, I'm just going back to a patient…care to join me?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
They walked to Exam three where a man in his mid-forties was sitting on a bed, looking around nervously. He looked up when he heard the door open.  
  
"So…doc, what is it? I'm not dieing, am I? I can't die, I have a wife…I have kids, I can't just leave them…oh, no, I am dieing, aren't I?" the man babbled.  
  
Carter and Abby exchanged surprised glances. Carter held up his hands. "Now, Mr. Harrison, you're not dieing, don't worry. You only have the flu."  
  
The man stopped mumbling to himself about death. "Are you sure?"  
  
Carter nodded. "I am completely sure."  
  
Mr. Harrison breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank God. I was afraid for a minute there…I'm a really nervous person and when I'm nervous, I talk a lot and then I just keep talking and talking until I just can't stop, and…"  
  
"Mr. Harrison, I'm going to prescribe you some antibiotics," Carter said, cutting him off, "now, you're going to need to take all the pills in order to get better, alright?"  
  
"Yeah, sure, yeah, no problem, Doctor…what'd you say your name was?"  
  
"Carter," he replied, writing down the prescription.  
  
"And who's the brunette?"  
  
"Abby," she told him.  
  
"You're a pretty lady," Mr. Harrison flirted.  
  
Abby furrowed her eyebrows. "Sir, didn't you say you were married?"  
  
The man's eyes widened. "Oh, don't tell Lucy, she'd get so mad at me. Please, nurse, Lucy's my angel, and our kids…they'd hate me! You're not going to tell my Lucy, are you?"  
  
"Okay, Mr. Harrison, we're going to get your meds and we'll be right back," Carter said, becoming uncomfortable. Abby looked at him with concern. They walked out of the room.  
  
"Please don't tell Lucy!" Mr. Harrison called to Abby.  
  
She turned. "Don't worry, Mr. Harrison, I won't."  
  
She had to run to catch up with Carter's long strides. "Are you okay?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah, I've never been better," he replied.  
  
"Liar," she challenged.  
  
He stopped for a moment and Abby was afraid that she had truly upset him. But he turned to her and smiled. Then he chuckled.  
  
"What's so funny?" she asked.  
  
"I don't know," he laughed.  
  
"Oh…uh, okay," Abby said, utterly confused.  
  
"Maybe I'm laughing because I just thought about how much I'm in love with you," he said, suddenly.  
  
Abby's eyes widened. "What?"  
  
"Blame Susan, it was her idea for me to tell you," Carter told her, continuing to the medicine cabinet.  
  
Abby stood rooted to her spot for a moment before chasing after him.  
  
"Carter, slow down," she called.  
  
They reached the med cabinet and Carter rooted around for what he was searching for.  
  
"Carter, where did that come from?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"What you said…the 'I love you' thing."  
  
"I just told you: Susan."  
  
"So…you didn't mean it?"  
  
"What do you think Abby?" he replied, chuckling.  
  
"I…I don't know, I mean…"  
  
"Aha! I found it," he proclaimed, holding up a bottle. He quickly walked out of the room and made his way back to Mr. Harrison. Abby shook her head and ran back out. She followed him back into the room, where Mr. Harrison was still sitting on the bed, looking around.  
  
"Mr. Harrison, I have your medicine," Carter boomed.  
  
"Thank you, Dr. Carter," Mr. Harrison said.  
  
"I'm glad to be of help, Mr. Harrison," Carter replied. "You can go pick them up when you're ready, alright?"  
  
Mr. Harrison nodded. "You're a good kid," he told Carter.  
  
Carter smiled. "Thank you, sir, I appreciate that."  
  
Abby looked from Carter to Mr. Harrison, admiring her co-worker's charming bedside manner.  
  
"Well, we should get out of here and leave you be," Carter said, motioning to Abby and himself. "Now, remember, if for some reason the antibiotics don't work, come right back and we'll see what we can do, okay?"  
  
"Thank you," Mr. Harrison said again.  
  
"Okay, well, have a good day, sir," Carter said, as he walked out of the room with Abby on his heels.  
  
"Carter, can I just have a second to…" Abby started to say.  
  
"Abby! We need you over here, we have major traumas coming in," Jing-Mei called.  
  
"Good luck," Carter said, bending down to whisper in her ear.  
  
She glared at him before running to meet the ambulances. 


End file.
